Police said the ringleader did his recruiting at the Marcia Coggs Human Services Center at 12th and Vliet streets.

Newly released court records say the main suspect went to the welfare office and asked patrons if they'd like to earn a little money.

Jacqueline Garrison and her husband operate group homes in Milwaukee. She said she knew something was wrong around Christmas when he started asking questions about their business account.

"He watches his account every day, and he kept telling me, 'Honey, something's going on with the account. Are you writing out checks?' I says, No,'" Garrison said.

They soon learned someone had withdrawn more than $13,000 from their Cozy Care Corp. account by cashing bogus payroll checks with their account number on them.

"They printed up checks like it was coming from paychecks," Garrison said.

WISN 12 News obtained court records that say since December, a Milwaukee man printed faked checks from several businesses, solicited accomplices, some at the Marcia Coggs Human Services Center, and then drove them to suburban branches of banks such BMO Harris and U.S. Bank, where they cashed more than 80 forged checks and then split the loot with the ringleader.

No one answered at the alleged ringleader's address Tuesday. The home is vacant. Prosecutors executed a warrant for his phone records to try track his network of associates.

Garrison said she wants to see them all locked up.

"You would not believe the stress and stuff that this has put on us and the company here," Garrison said.

Garrison said they've learned a key lesson -- to watch their accounts closely.

"We put a lot of our time free into this business, and then you got somebody off the street that will come in to sabotage, you know? This is terrible," she said.

The Garrisons said their bank reimbursed them for the stolen money. It must now absorb the loss.

The district attorney said the investigation is ongoing. In addition to the ringleader, investigators said they've already identified nearly a dozen accomplices. All of them could face felony charges.

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